Posts Tagged 'Recaps'

Will it be Melanie or Sasha? That’s the question on everyone’s lips leading into the finals of “So You Think You Can Dance” tonight. Sure, Marko and Tadd are still in the competition, but even the judges are comfortable saying it will likely come down to two female contemporary dancers. (Sorry, fellas!) While we won’t know who will take top honors until Thursday night, here’s a look back at the most notable performances from last week’s Top 6, where we bid adieu to dancers Caitlynn and Ricky. With lead judge Nigel Lythgoe waffling between which girl is his favorite — one minute, it’s Sasha; the next, it’s Melanie — it’s sure to be one of the best finals yet.

Sasha and KentSasha literally hit the wall in her routine, but fortunately we mean that in a good way. The onstage prop for their Tyce Diorio routine was simple: a plain wall, which played a significant role in their his story about two people who have hit a wall in their relationship. Sasha poured herself into the routine, putting her technique and her emotion into the routine in a way that made it clear that early frontrunner Melanie wasn’t a shoo-in to win this season. “You put your finger against a wall and you break my heart,” guest judge Christina Applegate said. “And that’s dance. … Something has hurt you and I thank you for sharing that with us.”

Tadd and MelanieMelanie showed off her acting skills with Tadd last week as they performed a story about a choreographer and his star dancer. As Tadd took the role of the choreographer, Melanie portrayed a young dancer who was falling in love with her teacher. As she showed off her technical, sensitive side, her B-boy partner showed how far he’s come this season. “Tadd, to think you are in this routine with one of the best dancers we’ve ever had on this show,” Nigel said. “… To say that you did not suck is a compliment.

Melanie’s SoloSince the judges referred to Melanie’s solo repeatedly in their critique of her pairing with Tadd, here’s a look at the “beefy” performance. (Description courtesy of judge Lil C.) No wonder the judges call her a “beast.”

Marko and CaitlynnIt may have been Caitlynn’s swan song, but it was still worthy of a Lil C-ism: her final dance with Marko last Wednesday earned the title of “double hash tag buck.” Marko’s performance was top-notch, for sure, but that’s expected of the Guam native. And so the judges focused on Caitlynn, whose breakthrough routine was one of her best numbers in the series.

Melanie and TwitchWeek after week, Melanie has conquered whatever dance “SYTYCD” has thrown at her, getting to the point where it seemed there was no style she couldn’t master. Last week, however, we almost — almost — saw her falter as she paired up with All-Star Twitch for a hip-hop routine. The music was difficult, and the choreography was fast, but, as judge Lil C pointed out, she got through the routine, letting go of her precision and athleticism, and finally showing us that she has teeth and claws. That’s right, this Little Red Riding Hood has bite, too.

Tell us what you think: Which “SYTYCD” star gets your vote for America’s top dancer?

Just when we were starting to get really attached to the couples on this eighth season of “So You Think You Can Dance,” the show threw us for a loop by splitting up the seemingly unbeatable duo of Marko and Melody. But it wasn’t all sad news: “SYTYCD” paired up the Top 10 dancers with some of our favorite All-Stars from seasons past, including Pasha, Twitch, and Comfort. Perhaps even better, the show treated us to two nights with Neil Patrick Harris (no stranger to Broadway, he’s also a fan of the show). Even though we eventually had to say goodbye to Mitchell and Clarice, several acts soared last week. Here’s a look back at some of our faves.

Sasha
In what was one of the week’s most highly praised dances, Sasha teamed up with All-Star Twitch (Season 4) for a hip-hop routine styled by Christopher Scott (a dancer himself on “The LXD” web series). But this wasn’t your traditional pop-and-lock number. The choreographer opted for some soul, instead, and it worked. Lead judge Nigel Lythgoe was left speechless at first, and noted that this was the first time he’d really seen chemistry between Sasha and her partner. We’d have to agree!

Marko
All season long, Marko and Melanie have been the two dancers to watch. Now that we’ve reached the top 10, though, we had to ask how well this charismatic duo would do once they were split up. We got to find out last Wednesday, though, when Marko paired up with “SYTYCD” all-star turned “Dancing With the Stars” pro Chelsie Hightower (Season 4) for a samba full of scissor kicks, fancy footwork, and of course, Latin rhythm. Rehearsals left Marko banged up and bruised, but he persevered and came out strong, leaving Chelsie breathless at the end of their routine. Neil Patrick Harris singled him out as the guy to beat this season, while his fellow judges were equally enthusiastic.

Melanie
Call it the night of Pasha, if you will: he paired up first with Caitlynn for the Argentinean tango, then returned to the stage for a sexy-sweet Viennese waltz with judges’ favorite Melanie. It was so fluid and natural, she looked like she’d been waltzing for years. The end result was a romantic confection that made us want seconds.

Tonight on “So You Think You Can Dance,” the remaining 10 dancers will say adieu to their partners and pair up with a crew of “SYTYCD” All-Stars: Melody (Season 1), Allison (2), Pasha (3), Twitch (4), Comfort (4), Chelsie (4), Brandon (5), Kathryn (5), Robert (7). The big revelation, however, was that world-class ballerina Alex Wong, who left the show (prematurely) last season when he ruptured his Achilles, wouldn’t be returning as an All-Star. Turns out the dancer suffered from the same injury on his other foot. We’ll find out which dances stand out tonight, but first, let’s revisit our top three dances from last week.

Clarice and JessChristopher Scott (from “The LXD“) presented Clarice and Jess with a lyrical interpretation of hip-hop. The simple routine played to the dancer’s strengths and left the judges feeling all sorts of warm-and-fuzzy. Even typically critical judge Sonya Tayeh ate it up, saying that the pair “just slayed it.”

Jordan and TaddSo you think “Black Swan” was creepy? Choreographer Travis Wall’s contemporary routine for Jordan and a shirtless Tadd took it to the next level, inspiring judge Mary Murphy to exclaim, “Beautiful. Dark. Magnificent.” And while it made us think of Natalie Portman’s eerie turn as a ballerina, guest judge Jesse Tyler Ferguson (“Modern Family“) may have been right when he called it the classic “vulture stalks boy” story. (Note to the “SYTYCD” producers: can we have more Jesse, please?)

Melanie and Marko
“Dancing With the Stars” pro Louis Van Amstel crossed over to “SYTYCD” last week to coach the season’s superstars, Melanie and Marko, through a sultry tango that finished with one heck of a lift. It was one of the toughest routines they’ve faced this season. So did they rise to the occasion? You better believe it. While Mary noted a few missteps, she and Nigel both acknowledged that their performance was leaps and bounds over what they saw in the dress rehearsals.

Blame it on the salsa: the challenging Latin dance proved too much for “So You Think You Can Dance” contestants Ashley and Chris, who found themselves packing following last week’s Top 14 performances. And while ballroom has generally fallen flat this season, three numbers did stand out last week, from a romantic turn of leaps and lifts to a Moulin Rouge-like jazz number. Here’s a look at three of our favorites.

Caitlynn and MitchellCaitlynn and Mitchell put aside their playful personalities to get oh-so-dreamy for choreographer Mandy Moore’s piece, set to a Celine Dion power ballad. No matter that Mitchell was nursing an injury: he executed each lift and vault with precision, never once letting his brunette partner fall. In the end, the judges were on their feet and &dash; no surprise here — Mary Murphy was all choked up with pride and emotion.

Melanie and MarkoLast week “SYTYCD” power couple Melanie and Marko wowed the audience with a staged kiss that set off a series of surprise kisses among the judges. This week, their fiery routine, set to Lady Gaga’s “Americano,” turned our notion of jazz dance upside down. The ballroom-inspired number had the audience on its feet by the end, with series alum-turned-choreographer-turned-judge Travis Wall called them the two to beat this season. Mary Murphy was a little more restrained in this round, commending the duo for their passion and commitment to character. Still, never one to shy away from theatrics, she granted Marko with a new nickname: “Domination Man.”

Ryan and RickyAs the dancers shared past stories about themselves, Ryan’s story stood out for her “SYTYCD” connection: she trained with former judge Mia Michaels and even got an appearance on “House” thanks to her ex-coach. Conspiracies aside, Ryan and her partner Ricky took on jazz with a zombie dance — not the first we’ve seen this season, but much more fun than Ashley and Chris’ primitive undead dance from a few weeks ago, thanks to David Bowie’s “Fashion” as the soundtrack.

Tell us what you think: which of last week’s dancers made an impression on you?

The big story from last week’s “So You Think You Can Dance” wasn’t about the dancing or the two contestants (Miranda and Robert) who were eliminated. No, it was about the kissing. It all started with this season’s power couple, Melanie and Marko, as they performed a routine about a jilted groom who realized the love of his life was beside him the whole time. And while we’ve seen that story play out in dozens of rom-coms, we couldn’t help but squeal when we saw Marko fully commit to his role and plant a big one on his partner’s lips. We’re pretty sure the judges fell for it, too — but more on that below. Before the Top 14 dancers reveal what’s in store this week, here’s a look at some of the highlights from the Top 16.

Melanie and MarkoOnce again, power couple Melanie and Marko won accolades from the judges for their story of best friends falling in love. Nigel had big praise for the pair, calling them the “couple to beat” at this stage in the competition. But the dancers’ connection wasn’t what stuck with us. Actually, it was the love fest taking place at the judges’ table. Responding to the big smooch that Marko placed on Melanie’s lips, first Nigel planted one on Mary (much to host Cat Deeley’s horror), then guest judge Kristin Chenoweth gave a big old kiss to Lil’ C before Nigel came over to give Lil’ C yet another kiss. (Big props to Marko for trying to get a kiss from Cat at the end of it all, too!)

Caitlynn and MitchellOK, so maybe America didn’t respond to Caitlynn and Mitchell’s sexy Samba this week — they ended up in the bottom three couples this week, after all — but perhaps they’re just not responding the ballroom in this contemporary-heavy season. As Cat said, though, “I think even Beyonce would have been proud of those two. You were bootylicious!” Ballroom expert Mary Murphy called the routine spectacular, calling out Caitlynn’s leg and foot action as well as Mitchell’s strength. As for Chenoweth, all she could say was “shut the front door” (several times over, in fact).

Jordan and TaddWas it the best dance of the night? Absolutely not, but it was a fun opportunity to see the normally sexy dancer Jordan squirm at the concept behind their storyline, which was centered around two college kids waking up in bed together. (Jordan pointed out that she shares her bed with pillow pets, not strangers.) Her facial expressions matched the “OMG, how did I end up here?” moment perfectly, even though her dance moves may not have been as crisp as some of us — including Lil’ C — would have liked. No matter, though: we forgot all about it when her partner Tadd took his shirt off. With that, we knew this duo was safe from elimination.